SEND SORTED GUIDE • EOTAS
What Is EOTAS? A Parent’s Guide to EOTAS, EHCPs and EOTAS Packages
If you’ve started hearing the word EOTAS while trying to find the right education for your child, you may be wondering what it actually means — and whether it could be relevant to your family.
EOTAS stands for Education Otherwise Than At School.
In simple terms, EOTAS is an arrangement where a local authority arranges a child or young person’s special educational provision somewhere other than a school or college because that type of setting is not appropriate for their needs.
It is not simply another name for home education, and it is not the same thing as alternative provision.
Here’s what parents need to know.
What does EOTAS mean?
EOTAS means Education Otherwise Than At School.
Under the current system in England, a local authority can arrange special educational provision outside a school or other relevant educational setting where it is satisfied that it would be inappropriate for the provision to be made in such a setting.
The key question is not simply whether a child is unhappy at their current school.
The question is whether the special educational provision they require can appropriately be delivered in a school or college setting.
What Is an EOTAS Package and What Can It Include?
An EOTAS package is an individual arrangement of education and special educational support provided outside a school or college setting, where it would be inappropriate for the child or young person’s special educational provision to be made in that setting.
EOTAS stands for Education Otherwise Than At School. In England, these arrangements can be made under Section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and are generally recorded in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
An EOTAS package is not a standard programme. It should reflect the individual child’s needs and the provision required to meet them.
What can be included in an EOTAS package?
Depending on the child’s assessed needs, a package might include:
- Individual tutoring: Teaching in subjects such as English, maths and other curriculum areas, including home tuition and one-to-one teaching.
- Specialist teaching: Education tailored to a child’s particular learning or communication needs.
- Therapeutic provision: For example, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy or physiotherapy where required as special educational provision.
- Online learning: Suitable remote teaching, including online tuition, or educational programmes.
- Community-based learning: Structured educational activities delivered outside a traditional classroom.
- A combination of settings: Some special educational provision may take place outside school while other education or provision takes place in school, where appropriate. A package may bring together provision from different providers.
- Other individual support: Mentoring or specialist support where it forms part of the required special educational provision.
These are examples, not an automatic entitlement to every type of support. The provision must be appropriate to the child’s needs and properly specified in their EHCP.
The important question is what provision that individual child actually needs.
Who decides whether a child can have EOTAS?
The local authority is responsible for deciding whether special educational provision should be arranged otherwise than in a school or college under Section 61.
The legal question is whether it would be inappropriate for the relevant provision to be made in an educational setting.
The local authority must consult the child’s parent or the young person before making such arrangements.
Parents can explain their child’s needs, share professional evidence and ask the local authority to consider EOTAS.
Does my child need an EHCP for EOTAS?
Section 61 EOTAS arrangements are generally made through an EHCP, which specifies the special educational provision the local authority must secure.
However, children without EHCPs who cannot attend school may still be entitled to suitable alternative education under different legal duties.
EOTAS, alternative provision and elective home education are not interchangeable.
If your child does not currently have an EHCP and you believe they may need provision that cannot appropriately be delivered within a school setting, understanding the EHC needs assessment process may be an important first step.
If your child already has an EHCP, questions about whether their current arrangements remain appropriate may arise through the review process.
Every child’s circumstances are different, so independent SEND advice can be useful when considering the options available.
Who pays for an EOTAS package?
Where the required special educational provision is specified in an EHCP, the local authority is responsible for securing it.
Parents should not have to arrange and privately fund provision that the local authority is legally required to secure.
This is different from elective home education, where parents generally take responsibility for arranging their child’s education.
What should parents do next?
If you believe an EOTAS arrangement may be appropriate for your child:
Start with your child’s individual circumstances rather than trying to prove that they “qualify for EOTAS”.
- Write down which aspects of school are not working and why.
- Gather relevant evidence about your child’s needs and experiences.
- Record the support already tried and its impact.
- Ask the local authority to consider whether provision outside school is appropriate.
- Seek independent SEND advice if you need help understanding your options. IPSEA is a useful source.
Think about what provision your child needs, what is happening with education at the moment, what professionals recommend and what your child is telling you about their experience.
If your child already has an EHCP, look carefully at whether the provision described in the plan is being delivered and whether the plan accurately reflects their current needs.
You do not need to have every answer before starting the conversation.
Trusted sources
- IPSEA — Home education and education otherwise
- Children and Families Act 2014, Section 61
- GOV.UK — SEND reform: education otherwise than at school
The 2026 consultation is closed. Consultation proposals do not automatically change current law. Check the official sources for any published outcomes and legislation brought into force.
Is EOTAS the same as home education?
No.
This is one of the most important distinctions for parents to understand.
With Elective Home Education, a parent chooses to educate their child at home and takes responsibility for arranging that education.
With EOTAS, the local authority remains responsible for arranging and funding the special educational provision that has been agreed.
Elective Home Education
Parent chooses and arranges the education.
EOTAS
Local authority arranges the special educational provision because education in a school or college setting is considered inappropriate for that child or young person.
What does an EOTAS package actually look like?
The phrase “EOTAS package” can make it sound as though there is a standard timetable or menu of support.
There isn’t.
An EOTAS package may bring together different types of educational and specialist provision across the week.
For one child, that may involve individual tuition alongside therapeutic provision.
For another, the right arrangement could look completely different.
What evidence might be relevant when discussing EOTAS?
There is no universal checklist that automatically proves EOTAS is appropriate.
Evidence will depend on the individual child.
However, discussions may involve information such as:
- the child’s EHCP and identified needs
- professional reports
- educational psychology advice
- relevant health or therapy reports
- attendance information
- evidence of support or reasonable adjustments already tried
- information about previous placements or placement breakdown
- evidence about the impact the educational environment is having on the child
- the child or young person’s own views and experiences
- evidence about what provision has and has not worked
Is EOTAS the same as alternative provision?
No.
Although the terms can appear in the same conversations, EOTAS and alternative provision are different arrangements.
Alternative provision can be arranged for children and young people who cannot attend mainstream school for a range of reasons, including exclusion, illness or other circumstances.
EOTAS is specifically concerned with special educational provision being arranged outside a school or college setting because that type of setting is considered inappropriate for the child or young person’s needs.
In simple terms: education outside mainstream school does not automatically mean EOTAS.
What is changing with EOTAS in 2026?
The Department for Education launched a consultation in July 2026 looking at future arrangements for EOTAS, provision for children who cannot attend school because of health needs, and some forms of online alternative provision.
The consultation considered areas such as:
- quality standards for EOTAS provision
- clearer responsibilities and oversight
- support for children with health needs
- quality assurance of providers
- online education arrangements
- improved outcomes and, where appropriate, reintegration
These are proposals, not current law.
The consultation closed on 18 September 2026. The linked GOV.UK page now identifies it as a closed consultation.
Closing a consultation does not itself change the law. Check the official sources below for published outcomes and any legislation brought into force before relying on a proposed reform.
Feeling overwhelmed by EOTAS paperwork?
You do not have to understand the whole system at once.
Start by getting the information you already have into one place: your child’s needs, what is happening with education, professional reports, provision that has been tried and the support professionals believe they need.
OPTIONAL PRINTABLE TOOLKIT
EOTAS Package Planner
Our parent-friendly SEND Sorted workbook helps families organise:
- their child’s needs
- current provision
- what is working and what isn’t
- professional evidence
- provision being discussed
- questions for meetings
This toolkit is optional. You do not need to buy it to explore support or request an EHC needs assessment.
Where can I find more help?
For official information about the current system and proposed reforms, see the Department for Education’s EOTAS information for parents and carers.
For independent information about SEND law, visit IPSEA.
You can also contact your local SENDIASS service for free, impartial information, advice and support.